Lesson video

Hi there, everyone.

Welcome to this lesson on theme and variation as a musical structure.

This is from our compose and create unit, where we're going to be creating melodic variations based on a theme.

My name's Mr. Croughan and I'm looking forward to working with you throughout this unit, where we'll be composing our own variations on a theme.

Let's go.

In this lesson, you will hear how a theme is altered to create variations, and you'll be able to explain that theme and variation musical structure.

Let's begin by looking at today's keywords.

First of all, let's start with structure.

This is the way the music is organized.

Then theme, a short, recognizable melody that is the main musical idea for a composition.

Variation is when a musical theme is repeated with changes.

Theme and variations, this is a structure in music where the main theme is stated at the beginning and then repeated throughout, but changed in some way each time.

Lastly, orchestra, a large musical ensemble combining instruments from the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families.

There are three learning cycles in today's lesson.

The first, we're going to warm up so we're focused and ready.

The second, we will explore the sections of the orchestra, and then we will look at that theme and variation structure.

Let's begin by warming up.

We know how important it is to warm up before each music lesson.

We're warming up our voices, but also our bodies and our minds and ears, so that we're focused, ready to listen, play, and sing.

When we're warming up we are developing our sense of pitch, our sense of pulse, understanding of rhythm, and generally we're preparing our minds for learning.

And warming up also focuses our attention, helps us to link our learning from previous lessons too.

Let's begin by focusing on our listening.

I would like you to put a thumb up when you can hear music with a major tonality, and then thumbs down when it sounds minor.

Now, this will keep changing throughout the piece that we're listening to, okay.

So thumbs at the ready, here comes the track.

("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" continues) ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" continues) Very good.

So as you are listening and you are really tuning your ear to is that a major or minor tonality, then what you're doing is active listening and, as Lucas explains, active listening encourages us to focus.

It's not passive, the music's not on in the background, we're focusing and we're listening for a purpose.

Really well done.

Now, there is a video there if you want to check if you are right throughout that piece.

Next, we're going to warm up our sense of pulse.

We will begin by stepping two steps forward and two steps back in a steady pulse, as a whole class moving together.

And then we'll begin to clap on the first beat, the second, then the third, and finally the fourth beat of a four-beat pattern.

I'm gonna pop a video on now, and I would like you to follow along.

So standing if you are able, are we ready? Here comes the clip.

♪ Ready steady off we go.

♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four clap on number one ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four clap on number two ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four clap on number three ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four clap on number four ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ <v ->Well, that is harder than it looks.

</v> I thought that was going to be easy.

If you managed to do that and follow along to the track, very well done.

Now, what I'm going to do is put on another clip, which has a challenge version of the same exercise.

You can choose to pause here and practice the same exercise again, if you'd like to, and then when you're ready come back and try this challenge, okay.

Here comes the challenge clip.

♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two let's go ♪ ♪ One two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ ♪ one two three four one two three four ♪ <v ->Crikey, well done.

</v> Did you feel a strong sense of pulse throughout that, and do you think you improved as you practiced the exercise? As you were looking around, if you were able to, so much to concentrate on, were you all moving together? If you were and clapping on the right beats too, then well done you.

We're now going to copy the actions four beats behind, so this video explains what happens.

I begin with four series of movements, and then when I start the next four you begin the first four.

Hope that makes sense, I'm sure the video will make it clear.

When you feel confident with this, feel free to choose a leader from your classroom who can take the lead with those movements.

Okay, here comes the clip.

♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ (hands clapping) (fingers snapping) (hands clapping) Well done, people.

Very good.

You are developing your sense of pulse, your coordination, and your following of a leader.

Superb.

As we finish our warmups, let's have a check-in with our musicianship.

How are we developing? Aisha asks, "Have you internalized the pulse?" Reckon you have.

Laura says, "Are you able to focus on others and work as a team, so we're ready to make music?" Hope so.

Alex says, "Can you discriminate between those major and minor tonalities?" The more you listen, the more adept you'll become at that.

And Andeep says, "Are you ready to concentrate?" Well, I hope you all are, because we are about to begin the second learning cycle of the lesson, where we explore the sections of the orchestra.

The orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble made up of four families of instruments, and these are the strings, woodwind, the brass section, and the percussion.

So if you have a look at the screen there, we can see at the back is the percussion, 'cause it's quite loud.

Then we've got brass.

Next, coming forwards more towards the conductor is the woodwind; and then towards the front, the string section.

The percussion section: This includes tuned and untuned instruments, and they are played by striking, scraping, or shaking.

The drums on the screen are called timpani.

They're large, and they're part of the percussion section.

We'll begin by listening to members of the National Children's Orchestra talk about playing together as an ensemble.

Here it comes.

<v ->We all play in an orchestra.

</v> <v ->I play the clarinet.

</v> <v ->I play the harp.

</v> <v ->And I play timpani.

</v> When we're playing together, even though we're in different sections, we have to work as a team.

<v ->When we're working as a team,</v> we all have to watch the conductor to make sure we're in time.

<v ->We also have to make sure</v> we're always listening to each other.

<v ->We also have to play without a mix,</v> which is how loud or soft you are.

<v ->The string section, this includes instruments</v> that are bowed or plucked strings to make their sounds.

So there are violins, violas, cellos, and double basses.

The harp is also part of the string section.

Listen to the harpist from the National Children's Orchestra describe her instrument.

<v ->Hi, I'm a harpist, and this is my harp.

</v> It's made out of wood, and it has strings.

It also has pedals at the bottom that change the sound of the strings.

Listen to how it sounds.

(harp playing) Did you notice that the longer strings at the bottom have a lower sound, and the shorter strings at the top have a higher sound? Here is something that I play at the orchestra.

(harp playing) <v ->The next family of instruments we will look at</v> is the woodwind section.

Now, this includes instruments like the flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.

All the woodwind instruments use air to produce their sound, and we are going to listen to the clarinettist next.

Here it comes.

<v ->Hello, I'm a clarinettist, and this is my clarinet.

</v> The clarinet is part of the woodwind family in the orchestra, and you blow in the reed to make it play.

This is a low note.

(clarinet playing) And this is a higher note.

(clarinet playing) And here is something I play in orchestra.

(clarinet playing) <v ->And then the brass section,</v> which includes trumpets, trombones, tuba, French horn.

Now, the brass instrument produces a sound not when you blow through it, but when the player's lips vibrate against the mouthpiece.

We're now going to watch a clip of the percussion section rehearsing.

Look out for these instruments.

Can you spot a tambourine, a triangle, a bass drum, and a side drum? Here it comes.

(upbeat instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music continues) Nice.

We are now going to check in to see which of these instruments is not a member of the percussion section.

So A, B, C, or D, which is not a bass drum? Is that in the percussion family? Double bass, cymbal, or timpani? Which one of these instruments does not belong to the percussion section? Yes, you're absolutely right.

It is B, the double bass.

The double bass is an instrument belonging to the strings family.

Right then, here is a task for you.

There are a number of instruments on the screen, and I would like you to sort them into the correct sections of the orchestra.

There is violin, oboe, flute, French horn, cello, glockenspiel, bass drum, clarinet, tambourine, harp, trumpet, and trombone.

I would like you to put them into the correct families of strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion.

Pause the video here and sort those out, please.

Off you go.

Welcome back, let's see how you did.

Taking up the woodwind section, June says we have the flute, the oboe, and the clarinet.

On strings, Izzy has given us the violin, the cello, and the harp.

Lucas, on the brass section, trumpet, French horn, trombone.

And then Laura says, of the percussion section, there includes the glockenspiel, timpani, and tambourine.

If you've got all those right, very well done.

You've clearly been paying attention.

Good stuff.

Our third and final part of this lesson is on theme and variations structure.

We're going to listen to music educator Jonathan James, explaining that musical structure to us.

Here comes his clip.

<v ->A musical structure is a container</v> for all of the composer's ideas, to give them shape so they make sense to the listener, so that they can take the listener on a really good journey.

And there have been loads of names given to different structures over the years, but I think the most famous one is probably the A, B, A.

And you'll recognize this.

It starts off with an A theme, let's take something nice and jaunty and cheerful, right? (bright upbeat music) Then we might want to contrast it to something like this.

So this is the B section.

(bright upbeat music) And back to A.

(bright upbeat music) And A, B, A.

Back home.

<v ->So there we go.

</v> Theme and variation is one of many musical structures that composers can choose to use when they are composing.

This particular structure, the main theme is played at the beginning of the piece, and then it's repeated throughout but changed in some way each time.

Aisha says, "Let's call the main theme A." Now, a composer might vary the theme by changing any number of things, including these.

Andeep suggests, "Change the melody by adding some more notes, changing the direction of the tune." Izzy say, "We can play it on different instruments." Laura says, "We can give the music a different feel, maybe inspired by a different genre of music." Sam says, "We can change the rhythms that are used." And June says, "We can change the chords that are used." So we're keeping the theme, but we can manipulate all of these parts to make it sound and feel different.

Let's imagine we wrote it down like this: A, that is the theme.

Then we have A1, A2, and A3, each being a version of the theme.

A stands for theme; A1, 2, 3 are the variations.

Quick check for you then.

Which of these best describes a theme and variation structure? Is it A B A, or A, A, B, B, or A, B, A, C, A, D, A, or A, A1, A2, A3? Point to the one you think it is.

I'm pretty sure you'll get this.

Yes, it is indeed that one, it's D.

So A, the theme, A1, A2, and A3, the variations.

If you look at the others, that first one is what we call ternary form, or sandwich form, where a different section is sandwiched with the A on either side.

A, A, B, B is a binary form, and then the C is a rondo, where you keep coming back to the same theme with different things happening in between.

In a piece of music called "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" by composer Benjamin Britten, you'll hear a lot of theme and variation because it is written in this structure.

Jonathan James is going to explain in more detail.

<v ->Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra"</v> actually comprises music that was written for a documentary about 80 years ago, and back then they were trying to show off the instruments of the orchestra for young people, and to get people really inspired by the power and the majesty and the colors of the orchestra.

And what he does with this "Young Person's Guide" is that, with the help of a narrator, he introduces us to this theme, a dance by Purcell.

(bright upbeat instrumental music) And it's a really bold, dancing theme.

And after that, you hear the theme in each family of the orchestra.

So we go from the woodwinds to the brass, to the strings, to the percussion; and then after that you have 13 amazing variations that focus in on singular instruments, just solo instruments with light accompaniment, before he brings it all together again with Purcell's theme at the end with what's called a fugue, which is where the instruments chase each other.

And it is one of the most thrilling finales to any piece of orchestral music that I know.

<v ->And now, thank you Jonathan,</v> we get to hear the National Children's Orchestra playing the main theme of "The Young Person's Guide" to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten.

Whilst you watch, see if you can spot the following.

Different sections of the orchestra, did you notice where the strings are? The woodwind section, the brass section, and the percussion section, and when they're playing the theme all together? Have a watch.

(bright upbeat instrumental music) That is so cool.

Now, we're gonna listen to Jonathan introduce the variation on the oboes next, and then we'll hear what that variation sounds like.

So with the variation on the oboe, Benjamin Britten does the following.

He makes the tempo slower, he changes the notes of the melody, but it kind of keeps the same shape.

And then he changes the way the theme feels, it's played in a more flowing way.

Let's listen to Jonathan describe it, here he comes.

<v ->The variation for two oboes</v> reminds me of honey just melting into warm, buttery toast.

It is the most relaxing of all the variations.

And we start off with this pulsing little figure in the lower strings, and over the top of that we have a stretch of a line from one of the oboes.

(light upbeat instrumental music) And then the second oboe comes in and they have this lovely duet, (light instrumental music) just speaking to each other.

(light instrumental music) Did you notice how they were coming down step by step? And then all he has to do is bring them back up again, and then he ends on this lovely chord, (light instrumental music) which sounds to me like a question mark.

<v ->Thanks, Jonathan.

</v> Now, let's listen to that played on the oboes.

(light instrumental music) (light instrumental music continues) It is the harp next.

Now, in the harp variation, Benjamin Britten varies the theme by changing the direction of the first four notes so that instead of it moving upwards, it moves downwards, and then the harp gets to show off because it can decorate that theme using techniques that only a harp can play.

All those wonderful flourishes on the strings.

Have a watch of Jonathan discussing this part.

<v ->The thing is, with a harp,</v> is that you can't stop looking at it and it is one of the most beautiful instruments on stage, and yet it needs to have a very subtle, quiet accompaniment.

So how does Benjamin Britten do that? Well, he has this shimmer of strings, (light upbeat instrumental music) just like that.

And then over the top, we can easily hear the harp going.

(light upbeat instrumental music) Plucking those chords.

You'll hear all the characteristics of a harp here, those lovely full chords, and then a glissando, and then a broken chord.

(light upbeat instrumental music) And it's so majestic, you can't believe how big a sound a harp can make.

<v ->Great stuff, and now we get to hear that on the harp.

</v> Here it comes.

(light upbeat instrumental music) (light upbeat instrumental music continues) Beautiful stuff.

Now, just to check in for you, what do you think a composer might consider changing when they're composing variations? Which of the following, we have rhythm, melody, instruments used, and feel of the music.

What might a composer change? I'm gonna ask you to pause here and have a brief chat in your class to decide which ones you think.

Off you go.

And if you said, "Well, it has to be all of those things," you are absolutely right.

A composer can change the rhythm of the theme, alter the melody, use different instruments to have it played, and the feel of the music can change too.

So very well done if you said it's all of them.

In a moment, I will put on a song.

This has a theme and variation.

What I would like you to do to prepare for this is, using a whiteboard or a piece of paper or your books, is going down to write A, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, and then back to A.

The reason is, these are not sizes of paper these are our variations.

So, for each one, you are going to jot down how you think that theme has been varied.

What has changed? Is it the rhythm, the melody, the tempo, the dynamics? What different things have been manipulated to give that theme a different feel each time? Okay, there may well be two or three things that have changed, so you can jot down as many things that you notice change each time, okay? I'll give you a moment to jot those down, you can pause the video if you need to, and in a moment here will come the track.

(light upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (light instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (dramatic instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (dramatic instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of changing aspects of ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ (light upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Here's a theme and some variations ♪ ♪ Different versions of one idea ♪ ♪ There are so many permutations ♪ ♪ Changing aspects of what you hear ♪ <v ->How did you do in the Oak class?</v> Andeep says, "Extra notes were added to the melody at some points." If you got that on one of your variations, absolutely right.

"The piano part changed," said Jun.

Yes, it did.

Sam also says, "Well, the rhythms were changed." That had a very different feel sometimes.

Laura said, "The melody changed too.

I could recognize it, but it certainly sounded quite different." Izzy said, "Sometimes the music had a different feel to it.

It was almost like it was slipping into a different musical genre." And Alex said, quite rightly, that the dynamics changed.

Sometimes they change within one of those variations.

Really well done for today, some really good listening and understanding.

Not only how the orchestra is put together, but how a composer can use that full orchestra to manipulate a theme with plenty of variations.

So, in summary, what have we learned today? Well, theme and variations is a type of musical structure.

A theme is a short, recognizable melody, and that's the main idea for a musical composition.

Each variation is based on that original theme, but it changes slightly in one or more ways.

The orchestra is made up of four main sections.

We have strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion families.

Really well done for today, and I look forward to seeing you next time.

All the best.

Bye, for now.